This project is designed to develop animal models of neurological diseases, such as parkinsonism, Huntington's disease, and the neurotoxic consequences of environmental pollutants. The models are then used in behavioral and biochemical investigations of basic mechanisms involved in disease and in studies of novel pharmacotherapies. Particular emphasis is on behavioral methods providing quantitative information on locomotion and motor behavior in rodents; the Unit has developed new techniques and instrumentation for this purpose. The behavioral and neurochemical effects of ergot derivatives have been extensively studies in order to predict their possible efficacy in treating parkinsonism. The neurotoxic properties of lead, manganese, and kainic acid have been studied neurochemically and behaviorally.